After an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale struck China’s Southern Xinjiang province on Monday night, there were strong vibrations felt in the Delhi-National Capital province.
An earthquake with a higher magnitude of 4.4 shook Andaman and Nicobar island earlier on Saturday. The earthquake occurred on January 20, at about seven in the morning.
Around 11.29 IST, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 occurred in the Southern Xinjiang region, according to a report on by the National Centre for Seismology.
Along the border between Xinjiang and Kyrgyzstan, several house collapses and multiple casualties were reported, according to officials. Following the earthquake, the Xinjiang railway department immediately halted operations and 27 trains.
Up to 14 aftershocks measuring 3.0 or higher were reportedly detected close to the epicentre, Wushi County, in northwest China, according to Chinese media. With a magnitude of 5.3, the biggest aftershock occurred roughly 17 km from the epicentre.
According to Reuters news agency, which cited Chinese sources, Chinese officials launched emergency response services and numerous departments coordinated relief efforts, including cotton tents, coats, comforters, mattresses, folding beds, and heating stoves.
Xinhua News said that the epicentre of the earthquake, according to the Xinjiang Earthquake Agency, is approximately 50 kilometers away from Wushi and encompasses five villages within a 20 km radius.
40 aftershocks had been registered as of 8 a.m. (0000 GMT), according to China Earthquake Networks Centre, which was cited in Hindustan Times.
Only two of the six injured people had significant injuries, according to a post made by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’s government on its official Weibo social media account. Out of the over 120 damaged buildings, 47 dwellings fell, 78 residences sustained damage, and some greenhouses were reduced to rubble and plastic sheets.
Weibo users in China reported that they felt the tremors intensely in Urumqi, Korla, Kashgar, Yining, and the neighboring places. The Xinjiang railway administration apparently stopped operations as soon as the earthquake struck, and 27 trains were reportedly impacted, according to Xinhua.
The same earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.7, was reported by Kazakhstan’s ministry of emergency.
The largest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty, saw residents flee their homes and congregate outside in spite of the cold; some were even clad in pajamas and slippers.